Walgreens promotes Earth Day

By Michael Johnsen

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens is helping to promote Earth Day 2012 with the offer of a 20% discount on select beauty, personal care items and other grocery and household needs on Walgreens.com with the code 20NATURAL now through Sunday.

Twitter followers also can find out how to win a variety of eco-friendly products this Friday by searching for #WalgreensEarthDay on Twitter, the pharmacy operator noted.

Walgreens has a long-standing commitment to eco-friendly initiatives, such as reducing energy usage and creating ways to reduce its carbon footprint. Currently, the drug store chain has 134 solar panel installations at its stores, distribution centers and corporate headquarters. In addition, the company utilizes an energy management system that monitors electricity, water, lighting, refrigeration temperatures, heating and cooling, and waste management at more than 3,000 stores to help reduce energy usage and maintenance costs while extending equipment life.

Walgreens also is among the first of retailers hosting electric vehicle charging stations and has plans to offer this service at 800 locations. Drivers can already top off and charge while doing errands or traveling along major commuter routes in Baltimore; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Orlando, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco; Tampa/St. Petersburg; Seattle; and Washington.

“Environmental sustainability is part of Walgreens commitment to help our customers live well, stay well and get well, and that’s why it’s important to be a first mover with EV charging stations,” stated Walgreens director of energy and sustainability Menno Enters. “Sustainability is not only smart for our communities and planet but [also] makes good business sense. The feedback we are receiving from customers and team members about all of our sustainability initiatives has been very positive, and we will continue to find ways to lead in this space.”

Walgreens also is participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge. As part of the challenge, Walgreens is committed to achieving its goal of reducing its energy usage by 20% across all of its stores and facilities by 2020. In 2010, the company installed a geothermal energy system at one of its stores in Oak Park, Ill. The company’s Mira Mesa, Calif., location received LEED gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.